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No. 6I3,924.' Patented Nov. 8, I898. F. W. HEDGELAND.

MUSIC ROLL MECHANISM FOR SELF PLAYING INSTRUMENTS.

(Application filed. Dec. 27, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES ATENT CFFICE.

FREDERICK W. HEDGELAND, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE W. W. KIMBALL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MUSIC-ROLL MECHANISM FOR SELF-PLAYING INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 613,924, dated November 8, 1898.

Application filed December 27, 1897. Serial No. 663,449. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK W. HEDGE- LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Music-Roll Mechanisms for Self-Playing Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of devices for controlling the speed of movement of the music-sheet in self-playing organs.

The object of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple, inexpensive, durable, and efficient form of governor which shall be under perfect control and which shall obviate the objections to previous constructions. In my improvement I belt the wind or other motor to a swinging shaft carrying a frictiondisk at one end, and this friction-disk gives motion to the shaft actuating the music-roll by the contact of its side face with the periphery of a wheel carried upon the lastnamed shaft. The speed of the rolls rotation depends upon the position of the friction-disk relative to said wheel, and the disk is moved over the wheel by swinging its shaft so as to bring either its central portion or its periphery or some intermediate portion against the wheel, as desired, as will be better understood from my description of the invention given below.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, Figure 1 is a plan of music-sheet motor mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same, partly in section; and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section.

In said drawings, A represents the musicroll operated by the shaft A, and B is a pneumatic air or wind motor for driving said roll. The latter is-belted to a pulley C upon the upper end of a shaft C. This shaft is provided with bearings attached to a block D, which is supported upon a horizontal pivot D, located at its upper end and in close proximity to the pulley C, so that the block and shaft may be swung as desired upon said pivot. At its lower end the shaft 0 carries a friction-disk E, and this friction-disk is in contact with a vertical wheel F, fast upon the end of shaft A, and by means of such contact actuates shaft A and the music-roll. The speed of the rotation thus imparted to the music-roll is governed by the position of the friction-disk relative to the driven Wheel F. Thus when the wheel is in contact with the central portion of the friction-disk the music-roll will be actuated slowly, and when the friction-disk is moved so that the contact takes place with its intermediate or outer portions the rotation will be correspondingly quiekened. These changes in the position of the friction-disk are brought about by swinging the support D upon its pivot, and the swinging operations are imparted by the devices now to be described.

G is a stop-rod operable by the player of the instrument and provided with pins G. An elbow-lever II is pivoted at H, and one limb of the lever extends between the pins G, so as to receive movement therefrom. The other limb of the lever carries a wire J, connecting the lever with the lower part of the swinging shaft-support D. By means of these devices the operator by moving the stop-rod swings the shaft-support D to the extent needed to produce the proper speed by the music-roll, such swinging movement of the shaft changing the relative positions of the friction-disk and wheel, as already described.

Through the medium of the stop-rod Gthe operator also sets the wind-motor in operation. In order to accomplish this result, the wind-trunk K, connecting the wind-motor with the wind-inducing apparatus of the organ, is provided with a valve K, adapted to shut off the wind-current, and a spring K whose pressure is exerted on the valve in the direction in which the valve opens. The stem K of the valve projects to the outside of the passage K and is there engaged by the end of the stop-rod G, this engagement keeping the valve normally closed, so that when the operator pulls upon the stop-rod he allows the valve to open under the power of the spring. It will be noticed that the stop-rod can move a short distance before it produces any effect upon the lever II. This preliminary movement of the rod allows the valve to open, so that the motor may get under headway before the music-roll begins to move, thus obviating any danger of the stalling of the wind-motor by imposing upon it the burden of operating a music-roll before it is in proper condition to perform that duty. WVith this construction of governor the wind-motor may be allowed to rotate at full speed regardless of the speed of the music-sheet, and the full power of the motor is always available whether the sheet moves slow or fast, and it enables the speed of the winding to be regulated as desired without withdrawing from the motor any of the wind-power. The diskshaft 0 is allowed a limited vertical or longitudinal movement in its bearings, and consequently its gravity is sustained by the friction-wheel. This insures a uniform pressure by the friction-disk upon the wheel at all times, and it also permits the changes in position by the disk-wheel without affecting the amount of friction generated between the disk and wheel.

I claim 1. The combination with a music-roll and the motor for operating the same, of a vertical shaft driven by the motor and supported at its upper end in a pivoted bearing so that its lower end is free to swing, a friction-disk carried upon the lower end of said shaft, and a friction-wheel engaged by said disk and connected to the music-roll, substantially as specified.

carried upon the lower end of said shaft, a

friction-wheel engaged by said disk and connected to the music-roll, and means for swinging said shaft to change the relative position of the disk and wheel, substantially as specified.

8. The combination with the m usic-roll, the wind-motor for actuating the roll, and governing mechanism embraced in the connections for carrying power from the motor to the roll, of a stop adapted both to open the valve of the motor and to control said govern ing mechanism, substantially as specified.

i. The combination with the music-roll and the wind-motor valve, of mechanical connections carrying power from the motor to the roll, and embracing a governor mechanism, and a stop-rod controlling the valve of the motor and also controlling said governor mechanism, said stop-rod acting to open said valve before operating the governor mechanism, substantially as specified.

FREDERICK W. I'IED GELAND.

Witnesses:

E. S. EVARTS, II. M. MUNDAY. 

